Foldable invalid or bath chair



July 28, 1959 G. SCHLADEBACH FOLDABLE INVALID OR BATH CHAIR Filed March 25, 1954 Invemar:

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FOIJDABLE INVALID (BR BATH CHAIR Gert Schladebach, Hanan am Main, Germany, assignor to Adam Wilhelm Lehr, 'Oiienbach am Main, Germany Application March 25, 1954, Serial No. 418,709

Claims priority, application Germany April 7, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 155-30) This invention relates to a foldable invalid or bath chair which can be reduced in size by folding in all three dimensions. As a rule and for the purpose of transportation in public or other conveyances this type of vehicle is made foldable on the lazy tong principle after the style, for instance, of the socalled bungalow chairs. But this way of falding enables a reduction only in the width inasmuch as only the outer parts of the vehicle can be pushed together in the direction of the central longitudinal axis thereof, and the vehicle becomes neither shorter nor lower.

Inasmuch as the aforementioned way of folding has generally been found insufficient in the handling of invalid chairs, the invention has for its main purpose an improvement in the construction of the vehicle, in which these insufiiciencies are absent and which will enable an invalid or bath chair of the said type to be reduced in all three dimensions, namely in length, height, and width. An invalid chair so folded can be most conveniently stored when not in use, and transported in any public or private conveyances.

Another object of the invention is the reduction in size of the vehicle substantially to the dimensions determined by the pair of large running wheels. These running wheels are a necessity for such invalids who wish to propel their own vehicle by hand-operated mechanisms or hand rims arranged outside these large wheels.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a foldable invalid or bath chair of the said type in which the mutual arrangement of the components affords greatest convenience in folding combined with rigidity and reliability in use.

With these and other obects in view the vehicle in accordance with the invention is so constructed that the lateral stays of the back rest and those of the arm rests, which are pivotally attached thereto at each side, can be tipped forward and thereby lowered into the space between the two running wheels. The chassis or frame of the vehicle is preferably formed by two juxtaposed collapsible parallelograms with the large Wheels arrangedon and parallel to their outer members, so that each parallelogram, together with its pertaining wheel, can be turned rearwardly toward the other into a position adjacent and parallel to the longitudinal central support member of the frame.

The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates a fold ing invalid or bath chair constructed in accordance with the invention by way of example. The figures are largely diagrammatic, and j Fig. 1 is a plan view of the frame with the seatingaccommodation, including theback and arm rests, removed.

. Fig. 2 is .a side view of the vehicle distendedfor use.

Fig; 3 is aside view/similar to Fig. 2 but in folded condition.

As shown in Fig. 1 the letter C denotes the central support member of the vehicle to which are pivoted at 5 atent 12 ,896,593 Patented July 28, 1959 2 angles to the direction of travel and so as to be turnable on these pivots for folding the vehicle laterally.

At both outer ends of the axle carrying members J1 and J2 the axles e of the large pair of running wheels E1 and E2 are swivelled on vertical pins a and b which form the folding joints for the lateral folding of their respective parallelograms, with the axles e, however, always integral with and remaining at right angles to the outer members 1 and 2 thereof.

This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the wheel gauge of the two running wheels in the direction of both length and width of the vehicle by swinging these wheels together with their carrying members J1 and J2 in the direction of the steering wheel D at the end of the central longitudinal frame member C, as indicated by the position of the wheels in broken lines E3 in Fig. 1.

In order to facilitate the swinging of the wheels in the use of the vehicle the axle carrying members J1 and J2, under cooperation of the central support member C, are constructed in the shape of parallelograms A1 and A2 with vertically disposed turning points at all its four corners. In each of these parallelograms the outer members 1 and 2, which are parallel with the central member C, are rigidly connected with the axles e of the wheels E1 and E2. As a further means for the lateral movement in the folding of the frame, and to enforce the simultaneous positioning of the two chassis-halves A1 and A2 against the member C, the latter is provided with a slidable sleeve F, to which are pivoted the two links G, G1 which are both of even length and pivotally connected at their other ends to adjacent members 3 and 4 of the parallelograrns A1 and A2 respectively. By shifting the sleeve F along the central member this arrangement provides a simultaneous folding of the two parallelograms toward or away from the said central member. The sleeve F may then be arrested in its respective position by any known or convenientmeans, for instance by a push pin similar to pin N received in provided holes in the central member C, whereby the frame will be rigidly and reliably fixed in either of its end positions. i a

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the vehicle in its position of use and in its folded state. They clearly show the arrangement of the back and arm stays B2, B1 respectively, which are rotatable to a collapsed position about their pivots K, L, and which makes it possible to lower and insert these parts into the space betweenthe two running wheels E2 (Figure 3).

The latenal stay B2 of the back rest is pivoted on the horizontal pin K to the seating frame structure of which, for the sake of clarity, only the two members R, S are shown. The back rest B2 with its curved shape forms an extension of the seating frame member R when the vehicle is in its position of use. It also forms the support for the downwardly curved arm rest B1 which is made of one piece and adapted to turn on the back rest in the horizontal pivot L. With its free end it is arranged to slide in a guideH.

By turning the back stay B2 toward the front, the back stay and the arm rests B1 are lowered into the space between the two large running wheels as illustrated inxFig. 3. The free end of each arm rest member B1 is provided with means such as the holes M, by which the said members may be adjusted as by the insertion of push pins N so that the arm and back rests can be fixed in various positions of accommodation.

In the drawing the invalid or bath chair has been shown to be of the push type by the handle P at the back and 6 the two axle carrying members 11 and J2 at right 7 of the vehicle. It can, however, also be converted into one for self-propelling by the invalid himself as by the application of a hand crank, a lever mechanism or a hand rim device at the sides of the large wheels.

A further improvement can be obtained by the provi sion such as handles, or means for inserting carrying bars by which the occupant of the vehicle may be carried over stairs or uneven ground.

Whatl claim is: t

1. A'foldable invalid wheel chair comprising, in coinbination, a pai r 'of'running wheels, 'a steering wheel, and a central longitudinal support member, said steering wheel being mounted upon one rear end of said support member, a running wheel support assembly on each side of said support member adjacent to the opposite forward end of said support member, each said running wheel support assembly supporting one of said running wheels and including means for displacing said running Wheel between an extended operative position spaced transversely outwardly from said forward end of said support member to a collapsed inoperative position alongside said support member and adjacent to said steering wheel whereby a substantial. reduction in width and length of said chair is accomplished in moving said chair between said operative and inoperative position respectively, each said moving wheel assembly comprising a horizontally disposed parallelogram-shaped link assembly at either side of said central support member, a foremost and a rear member of said parallelogram disposed at right angles to said central support member, means for pivotally conv necting the'innerends of said -foremost and rear members to said central support member, means forpivotally connecting the outer ends of said "foremost members to the running wheel axles for swinging movement "of the *running wheels together with the said foremost and rear members to a position alongside the said central support member in parallel relation thereto, and connecting links in the said parallelogram for connecting the outer ends ofisaid foremost and rear member's to'one another.

I, foldable invalid wheel chair comprising, in combination, a pair of running wheels, a steering wheel, and a central "longitudinal support member, said steering wheel being mounted upon onerear end of said support member, a running wheel support assembly on each side of said support'member adjacent tothe opposite forward end of said support member, each-said running wheel support assembly supporting one of said running wheels and including means for displacing "said running wheel between an extendedoperative positionspaced transversely outwardly from said forward end of said support member to a collapsed inoperative position alongside said support member and adjacent to said steering wheel whereby a substantial reduction in width and length of said chair is accomplished in moving 's'aidchair between said operative and inoperative position respectively, each said'moving wheel assembly comprising a horizontally disposed parallelogram-shaped link assembly ateither side of said central support member, each of said link parallelograrns comprising pivoted front and rear members'attached at right angles'to said central support member and an outer connecting link dispo'sedparallel to said central support member for "connecting the outer ends of said front and rear members 'to each other, a wheel axle rigidly attached to the foremost end of said (interconnecting linksand carried at the outer end of said front member, in'eans for pivoting the inner ends of said foremost and rear members to the said central support member for swinging movement toward and away therefrom, and'means for prvotingthe outer ends of said front'members to "said running wheel axles for swinging rnfo'vement'of the runnmg wheels together with the said front members and outer connecting links alongside said central support member, thereby to producers-contractionof the'parallelogram sideways and a simultaneous shortening" of the wheel gauge ofthevehicle.

3. Afoldableinvalid wheel chair-comprising incombination, a pair of running wheels, a steering wheel, and a central longitudinal support member, said steering wheel being mounted upon one rear end of said support member, a running wheel support assembly on each side of said support member adjacent to the opposite forward end of said support member, each said running wheel sup port assemblyisupporting one of said running wheels and including means for displacing said running wheel between an extended operative position spaced transversely outwardly from said forward end of said support member to a collapsed inoperative position alongside said support member and adjacent to said steering wheel whereby a substantial reduction in width and length of said chair is accomplished in moving said chair between said operative and inoperative position respectively, each said moving wheel assembly comprising a horizontally disposed parallelogram-shaped link assembly at either side of said central support member, a front member and a-rear member of said parallelogram disposed at right angles to said support-member, an outer connecting link in said paralle'logr'am, means for pivoting said front and rear membersat one end to said central support member and at the opposite end of said outer link, a pair of Wheel and axleassemblies, each being integral withrone of said outer links, a sleeve guide slidable on said central support member, two links pivotally connected to said sleeve member extending in opposite directions therefrom and pivotally attached at their free ends to said rear members so as to fold said parallelograms when'said sleeve guide is moved forcibly with all links, front and rear-members and the running wheels of each parallelogram moving simultaneously alongside the said central support member.

4. A foldable invalid chair as set forth in claim 3, having arrested means in connection with said sleeve guide for arresting it and, therewith, the two parallelograms simultaneously in their respective end positions.

5. A foldable invalids wheel chaircomprising two'running wheels and a steering wheel, a central longitudinal support member mounting said steering wheel on one end, and means for folding said wheel chair'in the directions of its width, height and length, said means including a 1 pivotally joined link members pivoted to opposite sides of said longitudinal member and mounting said running wheels, said parallelograms of link members together with said running wheels being foldabletoward said steering wheel into a position alongside said longitudinal mcm-- ber for folding the chair to reduce'its width and length, a seating frame element integral with one link member of each of-saidparallelograms, -a back-staypivoted 'to'the rear part of said seating frame element for folding the stay intoa position between said running Wheels, and an arm rest pivotally joined to said stay and slidably received bythe front partof said seating frame element and displaceable in a forward direction together with said back stay for folding the chair as to-its height.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 434,515 Lee "Aug. 19, 189 0 699,186 Katzke May6, 1902 762,441 Rohrer June 14, 1904 909,411 'I-Iockney Ian. .12, 'l9 09 991,202 Doehrer May 2, 1911 1,449,401 Headley 'Mar. 27,1923 2,536,749 Jenner et al .Tan;2, l951' 2,592,405 Everest "Apr. "8. 1952 2,618,319 Everest et 'al Nov. '18, 1952 2,621,711 Leslie et a1 Dec. 16, 1952 2,639,162 .S'chon May 19,1953 

